Chapter 142
Elodie’s POV~
“Professor Nolan p>
Upon seeing Nolan walk through the door, both Dante and Sienna stood up to greet him.
When Nolan’s gaze landed on Sienna, there was no surprise on his face. No recognition beyond the bare minimum.
Sienna stepped forward, her smile polite and carefully practiced. “Hello, Professor Nolan. My name is Sienna Brown. We met briefly at the technology exhibition p>
“I know,” Nolan replied, his tone neutral as he extended his hand to shake hers.
Once Nolan sat down, Sienna took the seat directly beside him, angling herself slightly toward him as she spoke. “I’ve admired your work for years. I’ve been hoping for an opportunity like this, to meet you face to face and discuss the AI field with you p>
Nolan simply responded with a brief “Mm p>
At that moment, Dante’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then stood, his expression apologetic. “I need to take this. Please, go ahead without me p>
Sienna nodded with her smile unwavering.
After Dante left the room, Sienna picked up the menu and handed it to Nolan with a gracious tilt of her head. “Professor Nolan, why don’t we order first and chat while we eat p>
Nolan pushed the menu aside without even glancing at it. “Not yet p>
Sienna blinked, caught off guard. Before she could respond, Nolan spoke again, his voice direct.
“Do you want to be my student p>
Sienna hadn’t expected him to cut straight to the point like that.
But she recovered quickly. Nolan was known for being blunt, and despite his towering reputation as one of the top figures in the AI field, Sienna wasn’t the type to be easily intimidated. She met his gaze calmly, and confidently.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m very passionate about AI, and I believe studying under you would push me to achieve even greater progress p>
She had prepared for this. She’d known this moment might come.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her laptop and set it on the table between them. “Let me show you the product I developed for my PhD dissertation p>
Nolan leaned forward slightly, his expression impassive as he scrolled through the presentation with the mouse.
He moved through several sets of data, charts, technical breakdowns. His eyes scanned the screen with practiced efficiency.
After a few moments, he spoke, his voice low and measured. “As a graduation project, it’s significantly better than what most doctoral students produce p>
Sienna’s smile deepened. Her confidence swelled. She was about to elaborate when Nolan let go of the mouse, his gaze shifting away from the screen and landing squarely on her.
“Is this what you completed this year p>
“Yes,” Sienna answered.
“Nothing else p>
Sienna hesitated.
She wasn’t sure if he was asking because he was satisfied and wanted to see more highlights, or if he wasn’t satisfied but was giving her a chance to prove herself further.
But she knew her record spoke for itself. She had consistently ranked at the top of her class, received numerous awards, and her doctoral advisor was a highly respected figure in A Country’s aerospace program, someone who had participated in multiple space missions. The praise she’d received from her advisor carried serious weight.
So she had every reason to be confident.
With that thought steadying her, she straightened slightly and said, “I also conducted a technical analysis of the exhibits from the last technology exhibition. Would you like to hear it p>
“Go ahead p>
Sienna launched into her explanation, focusing on one of the autonomous vehicles that had been showcased. She broke down its core systems, the perception, planning, control, articulating the strengths and weaknesses of each component with precision.
She spoke for over ten minutes, her voice steady and assured, her hands gesturing occasionally to emphasize key points.
During that time, Dante returned briefly, only to step out again to take another call.
Sienna barely noticed. She was too focused, too locked in.
Just as she was about to transition into her next point, Nolan suddenly looked up.
“That’s enough p>
Sienna stopped mid-sentence.
Nolan rose from his seat, his expression unreadable as he spoke. “You’ve got a decent grasp of the fundamentals, I’ll give you that. But what you’ve shown me isn’t enough for what I require from my students p>
Sienna’s breath caught. She forced herself to stay composed, but her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
This couldn’t be it.
Nolan was already heading for the door when Sienna found her voice. “Wait… Professor, please. What can I do differently? Where am I falling short p>
He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. “Engage more deeply with current research. Don’t just read about innovation, participate in it p>
Before Sienna could respond, Dante re-entered the room.
Nolan nodded toward him. “We’ll talk later this week. I have other matters to attend to p>
“Of course,” Dante replied.
And just like that, Nolan was gone.
Dante turned to Sienna, reading the disappointment written all over her face. “Not the outcome you were hoping for p>
She shook her head slowly. “He turned me down p>
“Walk me through what happened p>
Sienna recounted the conversation—every question, every critique, every piece of feedback Nolan had given.
When she finished, Dante said thoughtfully, “His feedback sounds fair. You’re talented, Sienna. This isn’t about your intelligence p>
She frowned. “Then what is it about p>
“Commitment. He wants to see that you’re fully invested, not just interested p>
Sienna’s jaw tightened as the realization settled in. She had been distracted lately, spending weekends racing, attending events, playing the role everyone expected of her. Maybe Nolan had sensed that her priorities were scattered.
Dante’s voice softened. “Try again when you’re ready. This isn’t the end p>
Sienna managed a small smile. “I will p>
But inside, frustration simmered. She’d been so certain this would work.
Back at the villa, Nolan walked in to find Elodie and Johnny setting up for dinner, hot pot ingredients spread across the counter, steam already rising from the pot.
Johnny looked up, clearly surprised. “That was quick. Thought you’d be gone longer p>
Nolan shrugged off his jacket. “Didn’t take long p>
Johnny shot Elodie a knowing look, then turned back to Nolan with a grin. “So I’m guessing we’re not about to meet a new addition to the team p>
Nolan didn’t answer, just took the bowl Elodie handed him and sat down.
Johnny laughed. “Called it p>
Elodie smirked. “You’re so smug. Go grab the rest of the ingredients p>
As Johnny disappeared into the kitchen, he called back, “So, Teacher, honestly, where would you rank her skillset p>
“Competent. Better than most graduates. But nowhere near what I need p>
“Figured p>
Johnny returned with a platter of thinly sliced beef. “The thing is, she’s got credentials, sure. But credentials don’t mean much when you’re used to working with people who actually push boundaries p>
Nolan nodded. “Exactly p>
Elodie stayed quiet, focused on arranging the vegetables, but there was a faint flicker of amusement in her eyes.
Johnny leaned back in his chair, grinning. “Besides, she’s what, twenty-five? And she’s still lightyears away from what *you* were doing at twenty-two p>
Elodie shot him a look. “Don’t start p>
“I’m just saying p>